NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:
October 8, 2010
Photos available on Oct. 22
For further information contact:
Christi Courian Jim Beaver
541-552-6347 541-552-6093
Southern Oregon University Department of Performing Arts
presents Alan Ayckbourn’s “Taking Steps”
(Ashland, Ore.) – The Theatre Arts program of the Department of Performing Arts at Southern Oregon University presents Alan Ayckbourn’s “Taking Steps” on November 4-14, 2010. SOU emeritus professor Dennis Smith directs the comedy in the Center Square Theatre.
A haunted house, mistaken identities, bad timing, and exaggerated personalities produce good comedy under Ayckbourn’s pen. “Many of Alan Ayckbourn’s plays use the convention of quirky staging,” said Smith. “In this play, all of the action takes place simultaneously on three different floors of an old Victorian house, but it’s all played on a single level.” This rollicking farce sets up hilarious juxtapositions for non-stop misadventures between the characters and maximum audience enjoyment.
“Farce is like a tapestry and you can’t alter or remove even one thread. The plotting is so often a very delicate business and far beyond ‘it’s all in the timing,’” said Smith. “Actors learn the importance of discipline and trusting the material when they work on a farce. The characters need to be spontaneous, but actors also need to bring reality to them.” He notes that the play will be set in the late 70s disco era which is the same period in which it was written.
The cast includes Mallory Wedding as Elizabeth Crabbe, Justin Cowan at Roland Crabbe, Darek Riley as Mark Boxer, Joe Wegner as Tristram Watson, Carlos Lopez as Leslie Bainbridge and Lauryn Hochberg as Kitty.
Designers are Victoria Miller (scenic design), Molly Braithwaite (costumes), Kaylyn Kilkuskie (lighting) and Adam Johnson (sound). Olivia Todd is the stage manager.
This is Smith’s 26th season directing for SOU. He has directed 28 productions in that time, most recently “Wild Oats” by John O’Keeffe, his adaptation of “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen, and “Arcadia” by Tom Stoppard. He has also directed productions for the Rogue Opera, Britt Festivals, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, and Lyric Theatre.
Tickets are $21 regular, $18 senior, and $6 for students. Subscribers to three or more plays receive a discounted price of $17 per play for regular subscribers and $15 per play for seniors. The Theatre Arts building is located on South Mountain Avenue in Ashland, next to the Music Recital Hall. For ticket purchases, call (541) 552-6348. For more information, visit sou.edu/theatre.
– SOU –